Chapter 23

Time to rouse Sleeping Beauty. Alan unlatched the handcuffs and yanked off the blindfold. Rip went the duct tape, a quick and painful shock to Stephano's system.

"Easy now, don't go flailing," Alan cautioned. "Let's get you sitting up, and I'll toss you some Gatorade to sort out those electrolytes. Once you're good, we'll chat. Got it?"

Stephano nodded, wincing. "Yeah, got it."

Alan passed over a hefty bottle of Gatorade, and Stephano chugged it down. As he guzzled, he inspected his surroundings, tugging at the chains around his ankles. Finally, he looked up at Alan. "So, you William Zabo?"

"Nah, I'm not William Zabo. You can call me Alpha. I'm the first of us you're meeting, and we're all going by letters. There's Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and so on. Now, what happens to you in the next few weeks? Well, that's all up to your old man. See, we've got a knack for convincing folks to do what we want. We ain't sadists, but when things gotta get done, they get